The invention relates to a guidewire threader that facilitates insertion of the proximal end of a guidewire into the distal end of a catheter.
When a patient is subjected to a vascular treatment necessitating employment of a catheter, a guide catheter is first inserted into the vessel in which the catheter is to be employed, after which a guidewire is introduced in the guide catheter. Via this guidewire, the actual treatment catheter is then advanced up to the point at which the treatment procedure is to be implemented. The treatment catheter has for this purpose a passage beginning at its tip which extends over a certain portion or over the full length of the catheter and serves to receive the guidewire. This means that the proximal end of the guidewire needs to be inserted in the opening of this passage at the distal end of the catheter. Since the passage in the treatment catheter has an inner diameter which is only slightly greater than the outer diameter of the guidewire, insertion is difficult, and it needs to be taken into account that the complete treatment procedure should be implemented in as short a time as possible to reduce the stress on the patient.
Devices relating to medical wire insertion are disclosed for instance in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,838,880 and 5,320,613.
The invention is thus based on the object of defining a guidewire threader which is simple, cost-effective to manufacture, permits introduction of the guidewire speedily and safely into the distal end of the catheter, and which is subsequently easily removable from the guidewire.
All documents cited herein, including the foregoing, are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties for all purposes.